Bell 407 accident near Fort Worth, Texas, January 24, 2017
On January 24, 2017 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 1999 Bell 407 (helicopter), registered N6040Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Fort Worth, Texas (Bell Training Facility airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to prevent the engine/rotor overspeed condition during the demonstration maneuver and the excessive descent rate during the emergency landing, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the engine/rotor overspeed condition was the flight instructor's failure to comply with the demonstration procedure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 2017 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · Bell Training Facility · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bell 407, built 1999 · all 407s on the register
- Registration
- N6040Y · registry record · serial 53371
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor was demonstrating the emergency procedure for a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) failure that would cause it to switch from auto to manual mode as part of the helicopter manufacturer's training program. The instructor stated that the helicopter was in a stable 5-ft hover when he was demonstrating the maneuver. To begin the demonstration, the flight instructor intentionally switched the FADEC to the manual mode. After about 10 seconds, the engine speed began to increase, which resulted in a corresponding increase in the main rotor speed. The instructor increased the collective control input in an attempt to control the engine and rotor speeds. The helicopter subsequently climbed and began to shake violently. The instructor initiated a descent for landing with an excessive descent rate, which resulted in damage to the landing skids and tailboom upon touchdown. The helicopter flight manual emergency procedure for a FADEC failure and the training program procedure for the FADEC manual mode demonstration both noted that the engine and rotor speeds must be maintained between 95% and 100% with the collective and throttle controls. The demonstration procedure also noted that the throttle control should be in the fly position when the FADEC is placed into manual mode. A review of engine data recovered from the FADEC indicated that the throttle was not in the fly position before beginning the demonstration, which likely resulted in a greater increase in engine and rotor speeds than would have been expected. The flight instructor did not promptly manage the increase in the engine and rotor speeds, which resulted in an inadvertent overspeed condition and subsequent airframe vibrations that prompted the need for an emergency landing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Simulated/training event during maneuvering (hover)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of policy/procedure › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,030 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 2,429 as pilot in command; 1,784 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 19, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,530 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 29, 2016; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C47B (turboshaft); 6,452 hours total
- Operator: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 0TE2 Hurst TX at 2:20 pm
- Destination: 3XS7 Fort Worth TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.64 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from AFW, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N6040Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN17LA188.